Device for electrically operating bulkhead-doors.



No. 852,724. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907. D. R. KNAPP.

DEVICE FOR- ELEGTRICALLY OPERATING BULKHEAD DOORS. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 27, 1906.

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UNIT D i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,DAVID R. KNAPP, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALLY OPERATING BULKHEAD-DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed August 27,19li6. Serial No. 882,174.

of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Electricall Operating Bulkhead-Doors, &c.,

, of which't 1e following is a specification.

11h erstoo My invention relates to electro mechanical contrivances employed for closing, from one or more central stations, the various bulkhead and deck doors on ships, and the-means for reopening the same; and the object of my said improvement is to provide a method for controlling the closing of the electric current circuits by which the'motors'that actuate the movement of the doors are put in operation in succession, either singly or in sets as may be desired, by means 0 a single main electric current circuit that is common to all the motors, in order'that the desired result may be accomplished with less amount of current transmission wiring and a less capacity of electric current generator than heretofore re uired for said purpose. I accomplish said object by the method and apparatus hereina ter described and specifica ly mentioned in the claims that are hereto ap ended and form a part hereof.

The nature, characteristic features, and see e of m said invention will be more fully from the following description, taken in connection with the accompan ing drawings, forming part hereof, and in w iich Figure 1 is a view diagrammaticall illustrating a unit installation of my sai invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a bulk-head or a deck door provided with means, which is no part of my said invention, for beingopened an'd closed'through the operations 0 an electric current series motor, indicated by 2; the line or main circuit by which current for o eratin the motor is supplied is indicated y 3 an 4; 5' represents theelectric current generator or source of electric current supply; 6 represents a rheostat by which a variable voltage circuit is provided through the leads an 4 for operating electric-magnets wlnch are connected in parallel in separate circuits for closing the motor circuits, as hereinafterdescribed; the branch motor circults, when closmg the door from a centralstation, 1s composed of the loads 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 1'8 and 19, the

direction ofthe current flow being in that the contacts of the of the order in which the leads are here mentioned; in case of opening the door electrically, which is accomplished by means of the local rheostat 23, the rotation of the motor armature is reversed by rcversin thepolarity of its fields; this is accomplished ole-changer 20, when the motor circuit is t ion" com osed of leads 12, 13, 15, 14, 16, 24 and 19, t 1e direction of the current flow being in that of the order in which the leads are here mentioned.

by shifting The means employed for closing the motor circuits in successive control, from a central station, consists of the electro-magnet 8 energized by the variable voltage line or main circuit 7, 4, which is connected to the magnet through the leads 21 and 22. The magnet 8 is )rovided with a weighted armature 9 which is supported in a movable position by the rod 25 one endiof which is attached to the core of the magnet and the other end is threaded and provided with a nut 26 for the pur ose of enabling an adjustment of the widt of the air-gap etween the magnetarmature and the magnet-core. The magnet is also rovided with insulated contact points 10 and 11, interposed between the leads 17 and 18 of the motor circuit, as shown; the magnet-armature is provided with an insulated contact-ring 27, for closing the leads 17 and 18 through the contact points 10 and 11.

As a magnet will lift dilierent loads under different degrees of ma netism it is obvious that with a variable vo tage circuit for energizin it its armature 9, being so adjusted as to a ord a constant width of airap, can then be varied, by means of a variation in its weight, to close the contacts 10- and 11 only under that voltage in its energizing circuit that is proportioned for a corresponding weighted armature; the weightin of the armature, of course, being proportionate to suit the diil'erent volta es afforded by the different resistances of t 1e rheostat 6. It is also obvious that like control can be had by having the weight of the magnet-armature a constant and varying the width of the air-gaps of the different magnets; also that a like control by the use of a combination of armatures of different weights in conjunction with a variation in the width of the air-gaps, can be obtained by the use of my hereindescribed invention. 7

The arrangement of the magnet-armature .shown in the detail illustration Fig. 2 in- 4o herebefore descn I dicates the manner of varying the weight of same, the disks 28 being made of such weight and added to the armature insuch numbers as the conditions as'to the number of doors 5 ,or sets of doors it may be desired tohave under the control of a central station.

'For the purpose of breaking the motor circuit upon the closing of a door a projecting arm 29 1s provided on the door so as to enro gage with the contact-lever 30, at the proper time in the door movement, thereby separating the insulated contact point 31 from the point 32 upon the door arriving at its closed position. The opening of t e contacts 31 and 32 breaks or opens the energizing circuit of the magnet, thus terminatm its attractive force'on the armature 9 and alFows it to drop to its normal open position of the contacts 1 0'and 11 and thereby openzo'ing the motor circuit, and stopping the motor. I

The lever is ivoted and wei hted so that its contact pomt 31 will be he (1 'inits closed position by gravity against contact 2 5 32; or the same result may be .obtained by the use of a spring where conditions may make such device preferable to that of gravity. The. resistance 33 is inserted in the motor circuit for the purpose of enablin the opening or closing of any. individual 001' locally and .inde endent of the central station, through the-use of the rheostat 23 which is inserted in shunt with the magnet 8 and resistance 33, and is operated in conjunction 35 with the pole-changer 20 provided for that -'pur ose and locate as shown.

e operation of my said invention is as follows :It being assumed that a number of doors are equip d-withthe contrivances liad, and that the are respectively connected and adjusts with a view to closing the doors in succession from -.a central station, the contact-arm of the rheostat 6 is placed on that contact the re- 5 sistance of which will afford a voltagein the line 7, 4,-that is a small fraction, sa ten per centum, of that in the constant v0 tage circuit 3, 4; therefore that magnet or series of magnets, and those only, which has or have its or their armature or armatures so adjusted asto close the contacts 10 and 11 under thatvoltage will respond, thereby closing the motor circuit orcircuits and causing the mo-,

ton or .inotorsto close its or their respective dbor or doors. As the maximum load on the generator occurs only at'the' moment of startmg'the closing movement of the doors. it is obvious that the next door or series of doors. may be started toclose so soon as the 6 5 .To start the closing offthe next deer or first door or series of doors are'started, there-' seriesrof doors thdrheostabarm is laced on the next resistance which affords a argeriper centum of the total voltage, say twenty per centum, I whereupon those magnets, and

,those only, (as those of the lower voltage adjustment having acted their, respective door positions maintain ,an open energizing circuit and therefore those ma nets will not res end to the then higher vo ta e with which t e main energizing circuit is c arged), having their' armatures adjusted to suit the increased voltage will respond and close their motor circuits; and so onstep b step, until all the doors are closed, the number of steps, graduated to suit the range of course, bein .of variable --vo tage attainable for the purpose, and contrariwise, the number of variations in the voltage being proportioned to meet the requirements as to the number of doors or sets of doors to be closed from any one central station.-

Having thus described the nature and object of my said invention, what I claim as new,-and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:-- -f' I o 1. In a system of electric current control, in combination, a positive leadtransmitting a constant voltage current; and a positive lead transmitting a variable voltage current; and a negative lead, common to said constant. 5 and vanable voltage leads and com leting their respective circuits; and a dist'rl ution circuit connected across said constant vol-.

tage line, and pro ded with a ma at the armature of which loses same; an a control circuit connected across said variable voltage line and electrically connected to said magnet for energizing same; all substantially as and for the purposes shown and described. r

2, In a system of'electric current control, in combination, a-positive lead transmitting too a constant voltage current; and a positive' lead transmitting a variable voltage current; and a negative lead, common to said constant and vanable voltage leads and com 'leting their respective circuits; and a distri ution circuit connected acrosssaid constant voltage. line, and provided with a ma et the armature of which closes same; an a control circuit connected across said variable voltage line" electrically connected to said magnet for one 'zing same; and an electric current motor t ecrrcuitof which is pro-. vided with a resistance coil, a rheostat and a pole-changer 'for reversing the polarity of said field. an o crating said motor; all sub- 'stantially as an for the purposesshown and.

which is-prcvided with'contacts for closing r30 IIO.

the operating' circuit of said motor, and energized by a variable voltage circuit; and a circuit-breaker operated by the movement of the door being closed; all substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

4. A door-closingapparatus consisting of the leads of an electric current circuit for supplying the energy for its operation; an electrically driven motor provided with a train of speed-reducing gear-wheels terminating in a pinion engaging with a gear-rack attached to the door to be closed; and a resistance coil, a rheostat and a pole-changer inserted in the supplycircuit and in the motor-circuit for reversing the rotation of said motor; and leads for a constant voltage electrio current circuit for transmitting current from said leads of the current-supply to said motor; and an electric magnet inserted in the operating circuit of said motor and provided with an armature and contact points for closing said motor circuit, and. energized by a variable voltage circuit; and a variable voltage electric current circuit for transmitting current from the leads of said current-supply to said magnet for energizin same, and provided with a rheostat foro taining the variation of its voltage; and a circuit-breaker inserted in said energizing circuit of said magnet andoperated by the movement of the door being closed; all substantially as and for the purposes shown and described:

5 An electro-mechanical device consist mg of a magnet provided with electric contact points, in combination with an armature supported in a movable position by a guide-' rod attached to the core of said magnet and having its opposite end threaded and fitted with an adjustable nut for varying the width of the air-gap between said armature and the core of said magnet; and a contact ring attached to but electrically insulated from said armature for electric current circuit closing through its contact with said contact points; all substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

6. An electroaneclianical device consisting of a magnet provided with electric coii- DAVID, R. KNAPP.

Witnesses:

PAUL P. BANHOLZER, JAMES E. CLAPIER. 

